Cumulus has blown up its "SuperTalk" FM talk format in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Enquirer TV/radio guru John Kiesewetter reports that WFTK pulled the plug on the talk format after the end of this morning's "Two Angry Guys" morning drive talk show with Richard Skinner and Tom Gamble. Construction noises have filled the 96.5 airwaves.
Skinner tells Kiese that the pair is still with the station, and will return to the station post-format change, after a previously scheduled vacation, on January 2nd.
But what airs after them - in a format supposedly set to launch Friday at noon according to a countdown on the station's website - is anyone's guess.
Cumulus has thrown up roughly four or five "possible" logos, including formats from country to religious to Spanish-language formats.
Talking to Kiesewetter, WFTK afternoon drive sports star Andy Furman doesn't seem optimistic. He doesn't seem to know if contract negotiations to renew his deal with Cumulus will resume before the deal ends at the end of the year, and he quips, "I’m not spinning country music, that's for sure."
It would appear that a full-fledged change to sports talk would have to include Furman, and his being out of the loop on this change is probably not a good sign for his future on the new 96.5 format...
Thursday, December 13, 2007
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13 comments:
I say country.
WFTK's class B at 19kw trumps Bonneville's low rated class A WYGY @ 2550 watts.
IMO Cumulus is going after WYGY, then WUBE.
Looks like Cumulus has gone "96rock" with WFTK.
This is an interesting swap. When WYGY 96.5 was country just a couple years ago, 97.3 was an active rock station. But when country was moved over to 97.3, rock fans were left with just WEBN (classic rock was also on 92.5 the Fox).
I don't have inside information on the ratings, but I wonder if active rock on 96.5 will be more competitive with WEBN than 97.3 was.
As for the talkers, I suppose the Angry Guys will stay on in the morning (note the slogan on their page "Angry in the morning, pissed all day"). Does Furman do rock music DJing?
~collegedj86
Two other things I didn't mention in my earlier comment:
(1) 96.5 has been commercial free since 10am according to Yes.com
(2) The voice talent sounds to be the same guy that does Rock 106.9 in Canton and Rock 104 in Youngstown.
The VO is Brian Christopher (BC), but not the Gen X "bc" aka "audioboy" who is on 99x/Atlanta.
Brian Christopher has been on many stations, including WKLS/96rock Atlanta as a VO and as a pM drive jock. Also WIOT/Toledo, the former KEGL/Dallas and many many other rockers
I believe Rock 104 Youngstown is Matt Anthony.. or at least it was.
www.mattanthony.com
This svcks! If Andy Furman/SportsTalk is not part of the new rock format (which I'm guessing it's not), I will delete 96.5 from my car stereo for good.
Listening to Talk Radio come through a clear FM frequency was all that attracted me to 96.5 - we already have 94.1, 94.9, 101.9, 92.5 et al for "rock". Enough cheesy "rock" already, this town needed Talk Radio for balance. Now, we're back to the Stone Age of having a half-dozen of the same drab formats on FM.
I just hope Furman lands on his feet somewhere.
it will be interesting to see how much they clip from webn...
This is total Bullshit.
We can hear rock, coutry, gospel, R&B, on about 20 other stations, and who cares to hear Spanish... This is Cincinnati...
The conglomorates that have bought all of our listening options need to be done away with for good...
I really like the Glenn Beck show with interesting views and news that our regular media is afraid to cover. I like the financial advice from Dave Ramsey...if people REALLY listened to these guys, the quality of their lives would go up tremendously! The two angry guys are ok....sometimes. Please, no more music stations! Keep Talk Radio!
Yeah, I hope furman ends up somewhere local...I already miss his whining about anything and everything. Glenn Beck, Dave Ramsey, etc WE NEED GOOD TALK RADIO
Cumulus radio is the one to complain to.
Cincy does NOT need another lame "rock" station.
Karrie Sudbrack is an old ClearChannel employee and her goal is to overtake WEBN listeners.
http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20071214/ENT/712140355
Yeh right! Until any other radio station in Cincy can do more than WEBN does for their listeners and fans during the fireworks; another rock station in Cincy will forever fail.
The morons at Cumulus will regret their decision. They WERE on the right track with Beck & Ramsey in town. Since losing these guys on the FM dial, I already feel stupider. :)
Let's all Contact Cumulus @
3280 Peachtree Road, NW
Suite 2300
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
TEL (404) 949-0700
FAX (404) 949-0740
Their CEO's name is:
Lewis W. Dickey, Jr.
Let him know what we, the local listener, want to hear!
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